Digital Transformation Lead

This 6-month OpenClassrooms' master's-level equivalent program includes licensed course content from the Stanford Center for Professional Development, and has been designed to equip you with the skills you’ll need to transform companies, big and small.

Here at OpenClassrooms, our mission is to make professional education accessible to all. OpenClassrooms is a global online education-to-employment platform, designed to teach the skills needed for the most in-demand jobs. 

Learners who undertake the projects in this path will receive one-on-one mentorship with practicing professionals experienced in leading digital transformation. 

What will I learn?

Achieving digital transformation is essential in modern business. It is the successful adoption of digital technologies by an organization to improve the customer experience or to introduce a new business model. The International Data Corporation estimates that annual spending on digital transformation will grow to $2.3 trillion a year by 2023 worldwide.

In 2018, Gartner, a global research and advisory firm, asked 460 CEOs to name their organization’s top five business priorities over the coming two years: 62% cited a need to undergo a digital transformation.

Digital transformation is a complex undertaking, full of challenges, including internal opposition. It can be costly in workforce and capital expenditure, so getting transformation right is crucial. 

Whether you are a senior leader, a mid-career executive, or looking to develop a new career in digital transformation, this program will prove essential. 

By the end of this path, students will have learned, applied, and mastered the key skills behind a digital transformation:

• Winning support for a digital transformation project.
• Reinventing business models that are redefining value creation and customer relationships.
• Structuring data collection to become a data-driven organization.
• Describing the potential of disruptive technologies (IoT, blockchain, cloud, robotics, IA...).
• Leading an overhaul of the skills needed by the people in an organization.

These fundamental skills underpin the success of any digital transformation project. 

If you want to learn more about the subject before going any further, you can also watch an introductory course on the OpenClassrooms platform on digital transformation — Drive Digital Transformation Programs and Projects — or read an article on our blog - What is Digital Transformation and Why it is Essential in Today’s Rapidly Changing Marketplace?

In order to earn the Certificate of Achievement, students will need to submit five hands-on projects. All of the instructional materials needed to complete the projects are provided in the courses produced by the Stanford Center for Professional Development. Here are a few examples of courses:

• The Industrialist’s Dilemma: How to Adapt to a Changing Landscape, by Robert E.Siegel, Lecturer in Management. Stanford GSB Faculty, Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.
• Enhance User Experience with Human-Computer Interaction, by Michael Bernstein, Associate Professor, Human-Computer Interaction Group, Computer Science Department, Stanford University.
• Leading Innovation, Robert Sutton, Professor of Management Science and Engineering, Stanford University.

You can view the full list of courses here.

Created as a collaboration between Stanford Center for Professional Development  and OpenClassrooms, students who complete the path will receive both a Stanford Center for Professional Development Certificate of Achievement and an OpenClassrooms certification.

Job prospects in the field 

People recruited to lead digital transformation programs and projects are actively sought after by companies in almost all industries, nationally and internationally.

This path can help you better understand your current job as a manager and leader in a fast-paced digital environment — whatever field you work in (product, finance, marketing, data, tech, HR...).

This path can prepare you for the following jobs:

• Innovation project manager
• Chief innovation officer
• Digital transformation officer
• Chief digital officer
• Change manager
• Head of digital change / change management
• Digital evangelist / champion 

Why invest in your education about digital transformation now?

A wide range of disruptive, technologies including AI, the cloud, IoT, blockchain, robotics, machine learning, and more, have altered the balance of power between organizations and their customers. This has created both threats and opportunities. 

Emerging technologies have changed the playing field, bringing about a new wave of "challengers" that are claiming market share from traditional giants. 

Senior leaders need to be aware of the stakes involved in digital transformation and lead their company in the right direction. They need to be able to identify opportunities throughout their organization, recognize challenges, and set priorities once they commit to transformation initiatives. Along with understanding what it will take to transform from within, they need to understand the marketplace and how their company stacks up against the competition. They also to absorb best practices, even when they’ve been defined outside their own industry.  Finally, leaders have to be able to create a culture that promotes change throughout the company as a whole. 

Mid-career executives and digital transformation consultants help convince leadership to allocate resources to the right projects, oversee the roll-out of change management strategies within the company, and regularly report on their outcomes. 

What are the advantages of this program?

Hands-on Learning Assignments that Develop Your Professional Skills

In our program, you will complete projects similar to those you’ll encounter professionally, and master the technical competencies businesses are looking for. At the end of the program, you’ll have an impressive project portfolio that will easily sway recruiters.

Individual Sessions with Your Mentor

Each week, you will meet via video conference with your assigned mentor, who will support you, guide you, and answer your questions. Together, you will define specific goals and develop a learning plan tailored for you. All the mentors we hire are practicing professionals who have proven experience in leading digital transformation.

A Welcoming, Dynamic Learning Community

You are not alone! Your progress will be tracked by the student success team to make sure that everything proceeds according to plan. You will also be in daily contact with other OpenClassrooms students via a global community platform. 

Career Guidance

Our goal is to help you achieve the career of your dreams.If you are looking for a new role, a career coach will assist you in your job search once you have completed your training.

Apprenticeship

Interested in following this path and working at the same time? Apprenticeship is an option open to students working in France. You can apply here.

Who is eligible to enroll?

Successful students will have:

• A bachelor's degree.
• Professional experience in a management role (at least 2 years).
• A good level of English (for non-native speakers, a CEFR level of B2, an IELTS band score of 6.5, or a TOEFL score of 80 is recommended).
• Access to a computer (PC or Mac), headphones, a webcam, and a stable internet connection.